1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to open joint wall panel systems. In particular, this invention relates to an open joint rain screen wall panel system that does not require wet sealant and that uses an anchoring guttering system with standardized metal panels.
2. Description of Related Art
Some conventional rain screen wall panel systems require frequent maintenance. These rain screen systems use wet sealants that have been applied either at the manufacturing facility or in the field. The sealants prevent the ingress of water between the panels of the wall system. However, these wet sealants degrade over time due to exposure to the elements. Degradation of these sealants mars the appearance of the building. Therefore, conventional wall systems require frequent maintenance of the sealants to avoid excessive degradation by replacing old sealant with fresh sealant.
Wet sealants also restrict the ability of associated metal panels to move in response to temperature and pressure differentials between the exterior and interior surfaces of the panels. If the panels are restricted and exposed to thermal fluctuations, the panels may warp, xe2x80x9coil-canxe2x80x9dor develop kinks in the surface.
A conventional rain screen system 10 that does not use a wet sealant is shown in FIG. 1. This system 10 has brackets 12 attached to an exterior wall 14 of a building. The brackets 12 support a vertical track 16. The vertical track includes pins 18. Panels 20 of the system 10 include hooks 22 that each receive an isolator 24 and which engage a corresponding pin 18. The system 10 is difficult to install because each pin 18 must be precisely vertically positioned to align with a corresponding hook 22. The pins 18 are also difficult to manufacture.
The present invention provides an open joint, back-ventilated rain screen panel system that uses dead load anchors, anchor clips and a track system. The panel system of the present invention does not require wet sealants and, therefore, avoids the necessity for regular maintenance. An exemplary embodiment of the panel system of the present invention uses standardized metal panels that are anchored by a guttering system. The system of the present invention permits movement of the panels in response to temperature changes. An exemplary embodiment of the panel system of the present invention uses nylon anchor blocks which minimize the friction between the individual wall panels and the track and enable the use of differing panel materials.
The panel system of the present invention does not use the difficult and restrictive hook and pin design of some conventional panel systems. The panel system of the present invention allows for much quicker installation and also reduces the number of penetrations of the wall of the building in comparison to conventional panel systems.